Confirmed: Eddie Murphy Named Oscars Host

It’s Official: Eddie Murphy has signed on to host the 84th Academy Awards next year.

ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the big news Tuesday.

“Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever,” said producer Brett Ratner in a statement. “With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances – especially on stage – I know he will bring excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show Don and I want to produce in February.”

Deadline.com broke the news over Labor Day Weekend that Brett Ratner, who’s producing the show along with Don Mischer, was courting Murphy to take on the high-profile gig.

This sounds like great news to us: The Oscars needs a comeback … and so does Murphy. After last year’s hosting disaster with Anne Hathaway and James Franco, just about anything would be funny in comparison, but the 50-year-old comedian, who lest we forget, has live TV experience from his days on “SNL,” could deliver ratings gold. And that’s no joke.

“I am enormously honored to join the great list of past Academy Award hosts, from Hope and Carson to Crystal, Martin and Goldberg, among others,” said Murphy. “I’m looking forward to working with Brett and Don on creating a show that is enjoyable for both the fans at home and for the audience at the Kodak Theatre, as we all come together to celebrate and recognize the great film contributions and collaborations from the past year.”

The 84th Annual Academy Awards will broadcast live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 26 on ABC.